crucial moment

Much has been made of Thomas Vermaelen's performance against QPR on Saturday and I'm quite sure
he'd be the first to admit it was not his finest hour. Not for the first time this season he's
slipped at a crucial moment, resulting in an opposition goal, so perhaps he ought to be considering
a change of footwear (blades v traditional studs, for example).

We rather liked the look of Moritz Leitner when he replaced Sven Bender in Arsenal's victory over
Dortmund last night. Further investigations confirmed that he is indeed the type of tender,
succulent manmeat we thrive on. Anyone else feeling peckish? Image: Getty Images.

ROME, Italy â€” AC Milan went top of Serie A on Wednesday with a 3-1 victory over Palermo at the
San Siro as previous leaders Lazio crashed 1-0 at newly-promoted Cesena. Pato opened the scoring
for Milan before Armin Bacinovic equalised for the Sicilians but a Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty and
late Robinho third gave the [.

Ahead of the big match against Chelsea on Monday evening, Manchester City's tactician, Roberto
Mancini, revealed that aside from focusing heavily in the upcoming difficult matches against the
Blues and Arsenal, the Italian tactician is also set his sight on surviving the January
fixtures.

Mancini revealed that, the early part of next year could be the most important month that will
determine their title chance this season.

I don't know what Sir Alex Ferguson was thinking, but he showed no respect for Liverpool by
fielding an understrength lineup. No Nani, no Rooney, no Hernandez and no Anderson. By playing two
defensive midfielders in Fletcher and Jones, Liverpool should and could have done a lot better than
just a draw.

West Ham United continue to blow the bubbles of drowning men, wrote David Lacey in the Guardian.
Any relief at having avoided a home defeat by Blackburn Rovers was soon overtaken by the
realisation that they now have to win their remaining two matches to have any chance of staying up,
and only once this season have Avram Grant's side won back-to-back games in the
Premier League.

We're all the same, football fans. Turn up every week, that familiar and engaging mix of
optimism and dedication at kick-off, tinged with the total certainty that the wheels are going to
fall off at the earliest opportunity. "Typical insert name of your team here, trust us to
have it all go wrong" Really though, is there a team like Spurs?

Chelsea eased a little bit more of the pressure on their wiry manager Andre Villas-Boas after
putting three past the Magpies at St James' Park. A revitalised Didier Drogba but the visitors
ahead on 38 minutes, heading home from a Juan Mata cross.

The fact that Asamoah Gyan was voted in second place in the voting for the 2010 African
Footballer of the year ahead of Didier Drogba in third suggests that the coaches and captains of
the 53 nations that make up the Confederation of African Football (CAF) were caught up in the
romance of Ghana's run to the semi-finals of the first World Cup to take place in Africa.

Mr Teo Hock Seng, Tampines chairman hugged by his players
after the 1-0 victory over Home United on an atrocious field. A decent turn out at the Tampines
Stadium saw the epic clash between Tampines Rovers and league leaders Home United on a unplayable
surface marred by the heavy downpour before the start.

The semi-finals of the Emperor's Cup, Japan's equivalent of the FA Cup, were held today and for
Kashima Antlers and Shimuzu S-Pulse the dream of lifting silverware on Saturday became one step
closer to reality with wins over FC Tokyo and Gamba Osaka respectively.

Kashima Antlers had to come from behind in order to force extra-time in their semi-final
match-up.

Thank the deity that doesn't exist it's over. The Modric saga and Harry's inability to pass by a
camera without giving an interview meant the last few weeks have been excruciating. Let's get on
with it now and play some football. However, here's no denying the backdrop of genuine tension on
deadline day.

Last Tuesday Haiti's Under-17 National Football team was sent home from Jamaica after two
players and a coach were diagnosed with malaria. The decision was presented as a public health
measure the Jamaican public health ministry described the sickness as "imported" and resulted in an
effective forfeit for the team from the CONCACAF competition.

Before United take on Chelsea tonight (yes, a mouthwatering clash indeed) here's a video of
Wayne Rooney talking about that crucial moment strikers face seconds
after they come into contact with a ball. When do you know if your kick will lead to a goal? Does
the quality of the kick determine where it'll end up?

Things would've turned out VERY differently had Ronaldo scored in the couple of chances he had
in the first half.It's one thing to lose to team like Barca (regardless of the score), much
less THIS Barca... or losing a Champions League tie to a team with some form of European Pedigree.